The Ingredients of A Revolution

These are dangerous days. Something is cooking. It seems to me that almost every element of a modern-day revolution are already set in place and we are waiting on a standstill, just standing above a vocanoe that is about to explode.

Consider this. If one is to cook a revolution, what he or she needs are the following ingredients:

1. A President embroiled in a major scandal, say a whistling buzz on gambling payolas.

2. A First Lady or First Gentleman fiddling into marvelously and ubitiqously dirty activities.

3. A presidential son or daughter earning the public's ire for some grave indiscretion.

4. An oppossition bloc who is getting louder by the day---where stinging remarks is breakfast stuff.

5. A Church disenchanted.

6. People marching like ants in the streets of Manila, specifically along EDSA.

7. Backpedalling or loyalty-shifting cabinet members.

8. A change of face by the military, at least the higher ups.

9. And finally, a central political figure that can easily replace the President when called upon.

As we speak now, we are feeling that familiar feeling again where something is on the brink of happenstance, where something must happen within days and if such would not happen accordingly, then it would not happen at all.

If President Gloria Macpagal Arroyo could withstand this windstorm that bedevils her administration like no other, where she remains in power for the rest of July, then most probably she would stay in power until her terms expires. Probably, the opposition movement would die down for lack of vigor and perseverance. For a "people power" revolution to succeed, conviction of the heart and strength of protest is primordial and conditions precedent. This happens only when people would stay in the streets for days and days to go, and even in the face of hunger and physical discomfiture, nobody gives in. That's when the people's voice becomes God's voice. Vox populi, vox dei.

At these heavy hours, we watch a brimming revolution upstarting but what's cooking is something not yet smoldering. If the Church would eventually support GMA's ouster, and if the military backs out of her wings then, then we may see yet another government toppled by the "street parliament" that we Filipinos are so well known for all over the world, at times notoriously.

And remember, we are yet to see an alternative central figure that can unite the opposition. One that is enigmatic enough and likeable enough that can be acceptable to all sectors. Susan Roces may be that one person but not all agree. Noli de Castro should be a shoo-in in a constitutional turnover of power but street protesters often barks at his being just another GMA-clone. Meaning the same status quo will remain in a De Castro administration.

Altogether, I am not being a doomsday prophet. I in fact pray that the Lord Almighty above will continue to guide the Filipinos in these dangerous hours. God bless the Philippines!!!